Renovations under way at the Parkwood
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| The Parkwood no longer pink. |
The Parkwood apartments in the Culmore area of Bailey’s
Crossroads are being renovated with support from the Fairfax County
Redevelopment and Housing Authority, with the goal of keeping the complex affordable
for lower-income people.
The project is funded by $30 million in tax-exempt bonds approved
by the FCRHA plus $2.5 million from the county’s Housing Blueprint Funds.
by the FCRHA plus $2.5 million from the county’s Housing Blueprint Funds.
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| The landscape crew at work at the Parkwood. |
The county is working with the owner, MRK Partners, to
ensure the complex, built in 1949, is “sustainable over the long haul” and
remains affordable for the next 30 years, says Vincent Rogers, director of
policy and compliance at the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.
ensure the complex, built in 1949, is “sustainable over the long haul” and
remains affordable for the next 30 years, says Vincent Rogers, director of
policy and compliance at the Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.
The project includes upgraded kitchens, with all new
appliances, cabinets, countertops, and flooring; upgraded bathrooms, with new
vanities, flooring, and plumbing; interior and exterior painting; carpeting;
light fixtures; air conditioning units; roofs; upgraded laundry and community
rooms; and new signage.
appliances, cabinets, countertops, and flooring; upgraded bathrooms, with new
vanities, flooring, and plumbing; interior and exterior painting; carpeting;
light fixtures; air conditioning units; roofs; upgraded laundry and community
rooms; and new signage.
Accessibility upgrades are being installed in 13 units reserved
for people with disabilities.
for people with disabilities.
The Parkwood apartments are limited to households with
incomes up to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). That’s approximately
$60,000 for a family of four. Without action by the FCRHA, rents could have become market rate at the end of 2025, Rogers says.
incomes up to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI). That’s approximately
$60,000 for a family of four. Without action by the FCRHA, rents could have become market rate at the end of 2025, Rogers says.
According to Apartments.com, rents are $1,266 for a
one-bedroom and $1,541 for a two-bedroom unit at the Parkwood.
one-bedroom and $1,541 for a two-bedroom unit at the Parkwood.
At the nearby market-rate Olde Salem Village apartments, rents
for one-bedroom apartments range from $1,360 to $2,335, depending on floor
plan, and two-bedroom units are $1,960 to $3,125.
for one-bedroom apartments range from $1,360 to $2,335, depending on floor
plan, and two-bedroom units are $1,960 to $3,125.
17 responses to “Renovations under way at the Parkwood”
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You mean to keep the ghettos in Mason District.
Are they joking? Tax exempt bonds so “affordable housing” can stay, and they need all new kitchens and appliances to be affordable — why? How about help for the middle class with affordable taxes, as I watch mason district continue to decline while my property taxes owed continue to soar…maybe someone can give us a new kitchen and mortgage that’s for under the market rate of my home.
I just don't understand this kind of thinking. I am middle class so I must begrudge people with low incomes getting a kitchen upgrade? A rising tide lifts all boats. I hope these residents get what they need.
Sadly yes, it is very much a ghetto and his a huge complex that a sensible person would not feel safe walking at night. Arlington does a much better job with its section 8 by putting small numbers interspersed within the community. Presenting ghettos and these high crime pockets that allow gangs to operate freely.
Culmore doesn't actually have a crime problem, it just has a large population of lower income Hispanic immigrants. So it's scary to you. But not to some of us that are a less challenged by small differences in how people look or talk. I bet the big mosque up the street is scary to these same people.
Apparently the robberies and gang killings committed by those in Culmore is not an issue because it is gang on gang. The fact that speeding and stop sign running happens continually in my neighborhood but I can't get a squad car to regular come through because those resources are tied up in Culmore and The Parliaments – because of the gang problem. As told to me repeatedly by law enforcement. I could care less about a mosque or the color of people's skin. But those in this country illegally, gang members, human traffickers, and subjected to being terrorized because of these ghettos bother me. They steal resources that could be used for other things. But I do appreciate narrow minded ignorant people that resort to calling people racist because they do not have a sound argument.
Have you looked at a crime map lately, Vin? It DOES have a crime problem. The county would be better off if that entire ghetto were demolished.
If you are really “terrorized” living in Fairfax why not just leave already? You sound pretty unhappy.
good but too bad the worse of the buildings back there aren't a part of this.
Here are the statistics with a breakdown for the patrol areas, including Culmore. https://issuu.com/fcpd/docs/2017-2018_group_a_ibr_offenses_sati?e=33283523/70713328
Where is this concentration of crime, since there doesn't already to be one at all. o..do you have a blindspot for your bias against people in poverty? Having a bias doesn't make you racist, but using words like ghetto and classifying people as illegal and saying you wouldn't walk there and to demolish the offensive housing all together sure sounds like indicators that you just might be…a racist 🙂 Not my problem in any case. You are who you are.
Vin – look at a crime map — most dangerous neighborhood. HIGHEST on the heat map — CULMORE.
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/va/falls-church/crime
No one said demolish the housing – but when you decentralized section 8 housing instead of ghettoizing it you encourage crime, gangs, etc. If you think Culmore is safe walk through there three nights after sunset. See what happens.
I'm always one to defend Mason but the link you cited is by district only, you can't draw comparisons on culmore compared to other areas based on that report alone. If you look at the crime maps on neighborhood scout or the tool actually used by FFXco police (crimereports), you can get a GENERAL indication on criminal activity in particular areas. But again, it's only to be used as a general information source, and not a authoritative source of truth regarding criminal activity in the area. Even still, I agree with you, people here tend to wildly characterize these areas as ghettoes when the actual data doesn't support it. There's plenty of crime elsewhere in Fairfax – Mason is definitely not the hellhole people here portray it as.
First a heat map with no details and no transparency and possible no normalization by population is not entirely useful for blanket statements, plus being behind a paywall makes it completely useless. And yes, one is the Anonymouses above wrote to demolish it, so yes someone did. I do agree that concentrating poverty didn't work this past 60 years and most countries including this one seem to be following a better paradigm but it's a slow shift, but I don't blame the residents of Culmore for that. Feeling apprehensive is a sign of unfamiliarity and anxiety, but I guarantee you would be fine if you took a walk through almost any neighborhood in the country, or internationally for that matter, and weren't being dumb it disrespectful.
There is a crime map that DOES specify types of crimes and where exactly they were reported. I believe it's crimereports, mentioned above. I looked at it not long ago. I don't know why you're defending Culmore. Do you live there? The truth is, it IS a bad part of town, and NO, it is NOT safe to walk there! Saying otherwise is ludicrous. There have been posts on this blog about people being attacked while walking there! Heck, drive around (with your doors locked and windows up) and see how bad it is. It sounds like Parkwood cares about its buildings and residents, but the same can't be said for other apartment complexes in that area.
I truly drive through the neighborhood most days and have never been nervous, outside of being concerned about pedestrians in the road and the potential for running someone over. Never a bad look much less an issue. I even have a nice car, and stop at stop signs. I love the Culmore restaurants and occasionally park at the library. Nothing is going to happen to me or my family. I live adjacent and I've learned from my biases and adjusted then over the years. There really is no issue and no danger that you don't find in most other places. Actually, if people are undocumented as you claim, please note that undocumented people generally commit less crime than citizens/residents since they could be held and deported for crimes that are relatively minor.
Anyhow, I'm done. Not going to change minds on the interwebs. Have a good one.
Sucks how people have to live in such conditions